22 HORTlCULTtjRAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, 



during the conference, and if he thinks advisable prepare suitable resolutions to be 

 acted upon at a future sitting of the conference? 



L. H. Bailey: I would be willing to be one of others who should consider tht 

 •matter. 



It was moved my C. L. Watrous that the matter be referred to a committee of tivt 

 to be appointed by the Chair, who should, if they should find it advisable, prepare reso- 

 lutions to be submitted to the conference. 



J. B. Norton: I wish to make a general statement in this connection. The Library 

 of Congress has a plan of printing and publishing index cards of many subjects. They 

 are already taking up a number of scientific matters, and Mr. Putnam, with the com- 

 mittee representing the American Association of Agricultural Colleges and E.xperiment 

 Stations, is to print subject indices, not merely of books, but also of subjects within 

 books, and furnish them at the mere cost of printing to any institution or library or 

 individual desiring them. This is one of the matters that might come in under that 

 order. The matter of the Department of Agriculture in the several bureaus and divisions 

 taking up and doing the work of cataloguing or preparing the copy for these printed 

 cards is being very favorably considered, and is indeed, as I understand, being started, 

 but it looks to me as if some one ought to be especially set to the task of looking to this 

 particular phase of literature and facts. Some of the most important points involved are 

 not to be found by the ordinary indices to literature. 



The motion was carried. The following were appointed by the Chair as members of 

 such committee: C. T,. Watrous, L. H. Bailey, W. M. Hays, N. L. Britton aid H. H. 

 Groff. 



DEFINITION OF ".si'ORT." 



The Chair: If there be any miscellaneous business to be introluced, it 

 may be considered at this time. 



D. Morris: I should like to submit this question: I notice duiing the 

 discussion we are talking about hybrids and sports. In English gardening 

 .sports are limited as arising fi-om bud variation. I don't know whether that 

 is the acceptance of the term here. We always accept the term sport as 

 being applied to a plant arising from a bud variation and not from seminal 

 variation. I notice that Dr. Saunders, speaking of the wheat that he obtained, 

 said that bearded wheat appeared after a certain time. A gentleman present 

 regarded that as a sport. I accepted that as arising from a bud variation, be- 

 cause that is the only other way in which the thing could arise, since Dr. 

 Saunders laid down the point that he had grown this wheat for some time 

 and it was a pure stock, and bearded wheat appeared after a certain time; and 

 a gentleman present suggested that that was a sport. We have exactly the 

 same thing in the sugar cane. Now I have always accepted the term sport as 

 1 believe it is always accepted in English gardening, viz., as a variation arising 

 entirely from bud variation. It is very desirable that we should have a clear 

 understanding in regard to the use of these terms. I was entirely misled by 

 the remark made that the appearance of the bearded wheat was regarded as the 

 result of a sport. 



W. J. Spillman: In this country, so far as I am aware, we do not understand 

 that the term sport be confined to bud variation. Any individual that appears, either 

 from a bud or from the seed, having a character that is apparently new, is decidedly 

 unlike its parents in some characteristics — we call that a sport, be it from seed or from 

 the bud. That is my understanding, at least. Isn't that true. Professor Bailey, in your 

 usual use of the term? 



L. H. Bailey: That is the way I use it, and it has been used so. I think that 

 what Professor Morris says is true, that the English gardeners limit it as a bud 

 variation; but in this country we call any marked variation a sport. How marked should 

 be the variation to be a sport is a question. 



